'My son did not take his first breath for 22 minutes'

10 hours ago

Two years after he was born on his mother's birthday, Rome cannot walk unaided and struggles with talking

BBC A young woman stands looking out the window, holding a blonde haired boy. — Two years after he was born on his mother's birthday, Rome cannot walk unaided and struggles with talking

A mother has described how her first child did not breathe for 22 minutes at birth and was left with brain damage and cerebral palsy.

Rome, who is now two, was starved of oxygen at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, his mother Charity said.

She recalled how she felt abandoned in the 24 hours before the birth and heard staff counting aloud during rounds of resuscitation in the delivery room, without telling her what was happening.

The hospital said it had held meetings with the family and could not comment on the case because of legal proceedings.

Parents Charity and Lewis said they were unhappy with the hospital's care of their son

A blonde haired two year old sits playing with a toy car on the floor between his mother and father. — Parents Charity and Lewis said they were unhappy with the hospital's care of their son

Two days before the birth in May 2024, Charity was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia - a condition that can cause high blood pressure in expectant mums.

She said her fears rose when she was taken to hospital to be induced, despite being given a warning that there were staffing pressures due to the Bank Holiday weekend.

"As a first-time mum, I didn't know what was normal," she recalled.

"I was obviously really worried that something could go wrong, but you think 'it can't be me'."

Charity said her waters broke 24 hours after induction, but she was not moved to a labour ward and had no pain-relieving gas and air as her contractions intensified.

She said an emergency Caesarean section did not happen for an hour and a half because staff were attending to another woman in labour.

"I was being told my baby was in distress, but then we were left alone again waiting," she recalled.

"I remember thinking, 'Why is nobody coming?' I felt completely helpless."

Rome spent two weeks in a specialist intensive care unit

Family picture A baby lies in an intensive care cot, attached to multiple tubes and wires as his mother leans in to stroke his head. — Rome spent two weeks in a specialist intensive care unit

When Rome was delivered, on Charity's birthday, he did not cry, the 29-year-old teacher said.

"I realised they were resuscitating him behind me in the same room," she recalled.

"As I was being sewn back up, I could hear them counting each round of resuscitation aloud. Nobody was telling me if my baby was alive.

"They managed to get his heart rate back after about two to three minutes... but he didn't take his first breath for 22 minutes."

Two years on, Charity said she continues to worry about the future for her "happy, cheeky" boy.

A spokesperson for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said: "Our thoughts are with the family, we have met with them on a number of occasions to discuss this case.

"This is now being handled by legal teams which means we are unable to comment further at this time."

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